


Beach Brawl

by cockabeetle, Lisbon (curseofbunny)



Series: Owari Magica [48]
Category: Owari Magica
Genre: Fist Fight, Gen, Jealousy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-06
Updated: 2020-03-06
Packaged: 2021-03-08 05:09:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,911
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26770024
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cockabeetle/pseuds/cockabeetle, https://archiveofourown.org/users/curseofbunny/pseuds/Lisbon
Summary: ana and percy are finally on the same page!it had to get worse before it got better tho
Relationships: Mariana Guerrero-Suarez&Percival "Percy" Richards, Mariana Guerrero-Suarez/Vanessa Verlac
Series: Owari Magica [48]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1815574





	Beach Brawl

**Author's Note:**

> POINTS  
> Total: 4470  
> Beetle/Ana: 2073 words at 1037 +1000 +50 = 2087pts  
> Bun/Percy: 2397 words at 1199 +1150 = 2349pts  
> non-training magi v magi battle nets us  
> 4 EXP each  
> and -2% purification for fighting each other

Mariana hadn't been very present during the battle, but when she was thinking about what happened afterwards, she remembered Percy acting off from the moment he'd shown up. She decided to stop by and ask him for a walk, maybe they'd finally get on the same page.  
She knocks on his front door.

With his parents out of the house for some kind of anniversary or college thing, Percy hadn't expected to get to see anyone today. Sierra was baking a cake in the kitchen, a "sorry you've been quarantined and forced to do the 8 months of missed homework" cake. A "sorry you cried on your dad right before a battle", and a "hey, you like german chocolate cake, right?" cake. So the knocks come to his door, and he leaves the piles of papers and books on the kitchen table, face in an uncharacteristic frown and eyebrows furrowed.  
Ana.  
Oh.  
"Huh." He leaned against the doorframe and crossed his arms. He shouldn't be rude, but his mood, along with his gem's clarity, had tanked. He wasn't at risk, it was just showing exactly how he felt, right there on a chain under his hoodie.

Mariana frowned back at him, eyebrow arched in curiosity.  
"You alright, Percititito? You seemed off during the battle." Ana's own gem was dark, but she kept the ring twisted around to hide it in her palm, hands shoved into her hoodie's pocket as soon as she'd finished knocking. She tilts her head.  
"You seem a little off, jefe."

He shrugs at her. Why was his heart still pounding, his stomach twisting painfully? They'd both moved on, hadn't they? There wasn't anything to talk about in that regard, right?  
"It's whatever. As far as you're concerned, yeah." He rested his head against the wood. She hadn't come to see him like this in forever...

Mariana's other eyebrow joined the first.  
"What is that supposed to mean?"

"It's nothing, it wasn't going to be anything, so it's fine. Nothing happened and I'm fine and that's how it's supposed to be, right?" He shook his head. "It doesn't matter."

Mariana's frown deepened.  
"...do you wanna go for a walk?"

He glanced back into the house, thinking about the cake and his homework. The vase had been safe last time, but this time it might really be at risk. He shrugged and stepped forwards. "Si! Back later, taking a walk!" He called, closing the door and stuffing his hands in his pockets. Maybe this talk would make his head actually stop buzzing, unlike the last one.

Mariana nodded.  
"Perfect." She turns, and walks with him for a bit in silence, trying to decide how to start.  
"...so."

Percy looked up at the sky. "Yeah?"

"...You're fine, and there's nothing between us, so everything is fine?" She isn't sure why she was parroting back what he'd said, besides maybe hoping that he'd tell her something...

He nods. "Pretty much. Nothing happened and it's fine." he blew out a breath. It was hard to stay upset, but the hurt was still twisting in his stomach like a basket of snakes.

Mariana frowned, and shook her head.  
"I don't get it, but... I can hear that something's bothering you, Percitito. Talk to me?"

Where would he even start? He noticed that she was walking aimlessly, so he corrected the path towards the beach. "About... what? Which part?"

"....what's bothering you? Don't try to tell me nothing is." Ana followed his course correction, smiling to herself.

What was bothering him... His crush on Belladonna, his lack of issue with their fates, Ana herself, Sierra's proximity and his budding feelings there, Ana and Vanessa's relationship and the useless self pity he was plagued with, Luis' avoidance...

"We can start with something small? Talking a little will help, Jefe. I... I just wanted to help you out, I know you were trying to help me, before."

He looked up at her. She did look serious... He'd start with the biggest one. The one she'd understand. "Luis hates me."

"Huh? Where did that come from? Last I heard he thought you hung the moon and stars, primo..." Ana raised her eyebrows.

Percy stepped up onto the curb so that he was another inch or two taller, letting himself balance as he went. "Last battle, the one before this one, valentine's day, I couldn't stop thinking about the new kids and you and I came back to fight. Before I bolted on him, I gave him my present, but didn't get to see him react. Right?"

"Uh huh?" That made sense, but why would Lulu start hating him over a present? He loves presents.

"And when I went back after you and Si left my house for the morning, total shut down. Your mom answered the door and was all 'he doesn't want to play with you, he hates you now, go home'. And he won't answer my texts or anything, and he hasn't been online since. I just..." His shoulders sank. "Don't know what I did wrong. Or if I do," the thought of 'of course he doesn't like you back' rang through his head. "I don't know if I can fix it."

"...hm. Sounds like Mamá is putting him in quarantine again." Ana frowned.

He looked at her sharply. "Quarantine? For what- against what? I'm not even sick anymore. It wasn't even the kind of sick that spreads to people!"

"Anytime Juanlu gets sick, Mamá hides him away. Like... she locks him in his room like Rapunzel and he's stuck there until he's good enough to walk around." Ana shrugs.  
"It's probably nothing to do with you?"

Somehow the attempt at reassurance still stung. "Oh. So, when does he get to be free?"

"...I don't know? I haven't spoken to Mamá since Thanksgiving. He wasn't sick for Christmas, either, so... I don't know." Ana huffed.  
"I could ask? But I might get turned away, now that I don't live there."

He shook his head. "If you're just asking for me, and he does actually hate me, it'll make it worse. Or it'll just be bad in general, because your mom hates me anyways. I'll... deal with it on my own." He stuffed his hands further into his pockets. "What about you? What's going on with you?"

"Well.... after everything, I had a fight with Papá and moved in with Vanessa. And... I've been doing good, I think."

"Right." He wanted to be excited at the thought. Sierra was one room over from him, currently baking him a cake and trying to keep him sane and not stir crazy. So why did that gut-twisting feeling come back? "Before the battle, or after?"

"Um. After the.... sleepover we had. I cut my hair and screamed at my dad and helped Nessa clean out her Nanii's old room." Ana bit her lip.  
"We kinda goofed off and started dating in the middle of cleaning the room, honestly."

He wasn't sure if he'd ever met Ana's dad. He wasn't sure how to feel about it. Since the sleepover... He'd made his demon deal with Bella, Sierra and him had been getting close, and he'd had that sparring session with Nessa, all between the two battles. "I... I'm happy for you." It sounded tense and forced.  
It was.

Mariana's eyebrows shot up.  
"Oh?"

He shook his head. "Sorry, whatever. It's whatever."

"No, no, Jefe, talk to me. What's bothering you?"

He shook his head. "It's not- it doesn't- Do you really want to know?"

"Yes. I wanna be here for you, primo. You deserve to have friends."

He paused to kick off his shoes as they reached the beach, shaking his head. "That's the problem. I'm terrible at that part. Having them, keeping them, not getting stupid feelings for them and then being a complete dick about them. And even with this, I'm more obsessed with my own issues than- than actually figuring out what I'm doing." He straightened, stepping onto the sand. "That's the issue."

Ana followed suit, pulling off her shoes and socks and carrying them in her hand.  
"Stupid feelings?" Ana's eyebrows furrowed.

"Yes! Stupid feelings." He hated feeling irritable and grouchy and snapping at her. He scrubbed a hand over his face. "It... it doesn't matter. It wasn't a thing. I just need to get over myself, and then maybe this can get... to normal." He couldn't just say 'i had a crush on you for 2 years and didn't ever talk to you about it', because that would be terrible. But... he didn't want whatever their "normal" was. Normal was him not around, and her wallowing in her own issues- unless he didn't know her at all. What was her "normal"?

"It's... we're back to you saying things that very much sound like they are in fact things that matter." Mariana's frown deepened.  
"I don't. I don't mean to sound patronizing. I just... I just want us to be on the same page, Percitito."

"Have we ever been on the same page, Ana?"

Mariana bit her lip.  
"I thought... once... but. I suppose not."

He stared out over the water. Usually it calmed him down, but right now the smell of the sand and salt just keyed him up more. "Were... were you ever going to tell me? About you two? Because Nessa and I sparred just before the battle, and... Never mind. It's not my business."

Mariana blinked.  
"I. I don't know if Nessa didn't want anyone to know, but I've had a crush on her since the beginning. I wasn't about to hide anything." She frowned. "Adelita didn't say anything?"

It was hard not to take stuff like that personally, even if he himself was the first person to ever say that he was at fault for his isolation. It just didn't stop it from hurting. "No. I even talked about the Luis stuff, and she didn't say anything. She thought I was dating him." He shook his head. Was Ana one of the ones that thought it too? Did everyone assume that he was doing things he wasn't?

"Juan Luis only just figured out he isn't straight, so... that much I know wasn't happening." Ana frowned.  
"Nessa can be shy, it's actually kind of cute."

He closed his eyes. "Right."

Mariana tilted her head, and then, finally, something clicks into place.  
"Ah." She shifts her stance, and glances down the beach.  
"I wouldn't normally offer this, but... would you wanna spar?"

He looked down at her. "Right here?"

"Yeah. You can do it anywhere, Percitito." She took a moment to transform, stretching her arms above her head as she did.  
"C'mon, don't you ever get tired of being nice?"

Percy transformed midstep as he moved to face her. "Don't you?"

"...Yeah. Don't usually let myself think about it, though." She summoned her gun, and tilted her head.  
"...did you want to do this without any damage?" Ana thought she could probably remember how to render her bullets ineffective, if she thought about it hard enough, but it had been so long... since before Percy or the others joined the gang... and he looked ready to pop, anyway. They might just end up fighting until they hurt too much to continue.

"With Nessa we didn't... do you... want to do it with damage?" Anxiety bloomed in his stomach. Did she want him to hurt, or could she tell that he was a loose cannon?

"You look like you need to blow off some steam. Hitting without any tangible examples is just gonna key you up more, isn't it?" Ana tilted her head, twirling her gun around her fingers.

Percy cracked his knuckles. "No weapons, right?"

"Of course weapons. I already have my gun out, Percitito. You have knuckle guards, right? If you'd rather use something less cumbersome than your mace." She raised an eyebrow.

He shook his hands out, feeling the heavy weight of them on his hands. The thought of actually getting to fight, for real? It did sound attractive. He lifted his fists into position and squared his shoulders. "Alright. Fine, you asked for it, Anita."  
Why was Bella's face the only thing on his mind?

Mariana took a step back, and shot off as she moved to put some distance between them- she misses, but she isn't actually aiming to hit him too soon.

Ana: 60hp Percy: 60hp

Percy dodged the bullet easily- she wasn't taking this seriously, was she? His mouth set into a frown as he landed a punch, much harder than intended, but a punch regardless.

Ana: 55hp Percy: 60hp

Mariana curses, shooting in a random direction. She needed to pull some distance between her and Percy, or he was going to overwhelm her before she can hit him.

Percy took a few big steps in her direction and lands another solid hit, this time to her shoulder. "C'mon Ana, are you gonna take this seriously?" He tried to say it teasingly.

Ana: 53hp Percy: 60hp

Ana's frustration mounted, after her shot went wide, so she chucked her gun at him and took off at a sprint. She snarled.  
"You try being unable to hit people close range."

Percy yanked a third knuckle guard from inside his cape and chucked it in her direction, wincing as it hit "Maybe we should try a different approach?" He yelled after her. It wasn't fun if she couldn't hit him back.  
Oh. That was the problem. He'd wanted the witch to hurt him, and now he wanted her to.

Ana: 52hp Percy: 60hp

Mariana summoned her gun again, taking another shot and throwing it as hard as she could into the ocean when the bullet whizzed past Percy again. "I thought I was past being unable to hit things!!!!"

Percy tripped over a patch of particularly soft sand, landing hard on his palms. He blew some hair out of his face and sat up again. "Just relax!"

Mariana summoned her gun for a third time, twirling it around her finger in preparation of throwing it away again, when it actually hit Percy in the shoulder. She couldn't help the jump of excitement or her yell. "¡Pum! Finally!!"

Ana: 52hp Percy: 58hp

Percy activated his shield with one arm, the other numbly touching where the bullet had hit. It stung, true, but... it also felt good. He grinned. "That all you got?"

Mariana snorted, lined her gun up with her right hand acting as a balance, and shot off 8 rounds into Percy's shield. It absorbed the damage, for the most part, but she could hit rather hard, and she was finally actually making something of a comback after missing so many times in a row.

Ana: 52 Percy: 42

Percy wheezed and dropped his shield. Shit! That was intense. He finally understood witches' screams of pain when that type of hit landed on them. He staggered to his feet after a moment and pulled out his mace, just to chuck it at the girl. It hits her foot, but it barely eases the sharp pain. "Good! More of that!" He shouts.

Ana: 50 Percy: 42

Mariana winced, as the hits actually connect. Oh jeez, that must have really hurt- Ow! Ow ow ow!!!  
First, he hit her foot with his mace, an then she misfires and shoots her OTHER foot, so she dropped the gun to hop around in pain.  
"¡Ay ay ay!"

Ana: 48 Percy: 42

Percy couldnt help his bout of inappropriate laughter at that. It did make him feel a bit better, even if it was at her expense. He made it to his feet, shaking his head. "Sorry! Sorry"  
However, with the distraction, it was easier to make it to her before she could run away, and he lands another punch to her shoulder. "You're 'sposed to hit me, not yourself."

Ana: 46 Percy: 42

Mariana's head snapped up, her bow materializing in her hand and an arrow nocked and released on autopilot. She wasn't really used to all this heckling, but she was waffling between getting mad about it and feeling terrible for it.

When the arrow hits, and she realizes just how hard she's hit a boy who she really doesn't want to see hurt, she can't really help the panicked "Wait, shit--" that leaves her.

Ana: 46 Percy: 24

Percy landed another punch as he went down on one knee, wheezing from the air knocked out of her. It hurt so fucking bad! Part of him wondered if, when he was getting to the end of his rope, she'd actually stop, or if they'd come so far from their initial friendship that she'd let him die. He doesn't want to think about it. He hacks up a lung, vision going spotty, but the grin doesn't leave his face. "C-c'mon! More! I can handle it!"

Ana: 44 Percy: 24

Mariana shook her head, throwing her bow away and letting her transformation fade as she skids to a stop on her knees in front of him.  
"Sh-shit, Percitititito, I didn't mean to--" Ana's voice breaks, and she has to scrub harshly at her face as tears start falling. She didn't actually want to hurt him.  
"A-are you okay? I have some healing items, I..." her hands flutter around him, not quite willing to touch without him giving her permission. She'd just hurt him, after all.

Percy coughs again, swaying on spot. Had he ever gotten that low before? Had he ever been hurt that badly? He offers her a smile. "Ana, calm down. It's not that bad. I asked for it, didn't I?"  
Still, he coughs again, swaying on his knees and hurting. Her bullets really didn't hold anything back!

Mariana hiccups, and shakes her head, hard.  
"It's really not! I- I didn't even bother holding back! I hit you full force twice! If you hadn't had that shield up earlier, I could have killed you just now! I-" She chokes, scrubbing at her tears again and trying to force herself to calm down.  
"I-I-I got so caught up I..."

Percy's transformation slips away as he cups Ana's face. All of the anger and confusion and resentment seemed to melt off too, and he just feels the tears slide down his cheeks to match. "Aw c'mon, you made me cry! Not fair, Maritza." He leaned into her space, the tears flowing more freely. "It's okay! It's okay!"

Ana lunges into Percy's chest, clinging and feeling herself finally start to calm down.  
"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry--" She never wanted to hurt him. She never wanted to hurt anyone. Why did she think this was a good idea?

Percy wound his arms around her, feeling his own tears get worse. Would she kill him if there was snot in her hair? He decides not to bring it up, merely letting himself sob and cling. She was here, and she was real, and it was okay! "Fuck- it's fine, you're fine, you didn't do anything wrong," he finds himself babbling back.

She hiccups, and digs into her jacket pocket, producing the first aid kit she's been carrying with her since she found it after a witch battle. Closing her eyes and hoping it'll work without her needing to be transformed, she uses the item on Percy.

Ana: 44 Percy: 36

Percy leaned on her. That felt better, but it didn't change just how hard his ass had been handed to him. "Maritza, you know what?" He murmured.

"Wh-what?" Ana sniffled, dropping the spent Kit and wondering if she could find the potion she'd only just gotten as well... Percy needed so much healing, she'd done way too much damage...

"Don't worry about me, I have potions at home, and Si is making cake. I... I'm just. I'm sorry that I was an asshole, and I'm lucky to have a cool friend like you. You are cool, you know that, right?" He offered her a smile, hugging her closer. He was sore, sure, but he would be fine with some rest. He just wanted to make sure she'd be alright.

Ana sniffled, and hugged him just as tight.  
"You're really cool too, you know, Percy." She pulls back after a moment, to cup his face.  
"So... do you feel a little better?"

He nodded. "It... still hurts, but I feel better where it counts. I'm sorry I was so frustrated and hurt- I want you to be happy, and I knew that this wasn't a thing, but somehow... I still got hurt. And I'm sorry, Ana." He leaned into her hands, closing his eyes. "I'm sorry."

Mariana pressed her forehead to his.  
"I understand, primo. I... I was getting frustrated, too. But! We're on the same page now. You liked me, didn't you?" She would tell him she'd had a crush if she thinks he wouldn't cry to hear it.

He winced. "I did, but I don't think it was a good kind of crush. I liked you but... but it wouldn't have happened. I liked you but I was scared to get too close, and I didn't want to be left behind, and I just- I just wallowed in it. I'm sorry, Ana."

"It's okay, Percitititititititito. I... liked you too, at a distance. I thought you were very cute, and charming, and I didn't know you at all and I didn't really know how to get to know you. You'd drift in and out of my life too fast for me to feel like I knew anything." She grabbed his hands, and gave him a smile.  
"But we know each other now, and I know I'd be much happier with you as my friend- my best friend, if you'd let me. We don't need to understand each other all the time, but..."

He nodded. "I can do that- fuck yes I can do that. I just... I have one weird request. You don't have to say yes, it doesn't have to- you don't have to- I'm still your best friend if you say no!" His face felt hot. "But- j-just...." he coughed into his shoulder, and he could tell that she could see him getting flustered. Best friends... he wanted it. Really badly.

"Go ahead, Percitititito. The worst thing I can do is say no." She smiled. She had a feeling she wouldn't, but... that wasn't important.

"Can... just once, can I kiss you on the cheek? Not in a romantic way, no, just..." his eyes fell. "You don't have to say yes."

Mariana leaned forward and pecked his cheek, smiling, and then turned hers to him.  
"Go ahead, Primo. You know Lu and I do it to people we think of as family, right? The ones we like?"

If it was possible for his cheeks to get hotter, they did. He leaned forward and kissed her cheek, slowly, to make sure he didn't mess up and miss. And when he leaned back... it felt like something had ended, but in a good way. The last chapter of a book that he'd been meaning to finish. He nods. "Yeah?"

She grinned.  
"Yeah. It's a greeting in Spain, and some other places, we kiss cheeks and tell each other we missed one another, that sort of thing. I didn't get separated from family often enough to use it often, but sometimes Papá would do it if he had to work late a lot, or when Lu got off quarantine I'd kiss his face all over and he'd squawk about getting me sick. Mamá never did it, but she'd sometimes kiss the mirror in the mornings." Ana shrugged, finally levering herself upright and offering him a hand.  
"I'm not saying all this to like... make you feel bad, I'm just... babbling, I guess. Sorry."

He let her pull him up, leaning on her. "Don't apologize, Maritza. It's okay. That said... do you think the cake is done by now?"

"I mean... it's had to have been an hour or two... it's possible? I'm gonna walk you home, okay, Percitititititititititito?"

He nodded. "Can you get my shoes? I think if I bend over, I'll stay down."

Mariana nodded, jogging over to their abandoned shoes and grabbing both sets- her socks she left behind. They were covered in sand and she wasn't going to miss them.  
"Sure thing, want to lean on me while you put them on?"

"I was going to leave them off, I walk these streets barefoot a lot. I uh... think i have insomnia." He rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly.

Mariana hummed.  
"If you're sure. Just make sure you don't cut up your feet on the walk then, Jefe." She'd slipped her shoes on, still holding his, and loops her free arm around his waist.  
"Let's get you home, okay?" A part of her wondered if Sierra's cake is the only thing waiting for them.

He squeezed her shoulder gently. "What is that you keep calling me, anyways?"

"Jefe? It means boss. Primo is cousin, the male version, anyway. It's a bit more casual than English though... like 'bro'. Not actually like... familial cousins, if that makes sense."

He nodded. "It's not weird. Like cuz, or bro. Or old Shakespeare 'cousin'." The thought brought a smile to his face as he remembered his Juliet, and the nickname. "You really don't think Luis hates me?"

"I don't. If... if I know my brother at all, he thinks you're very cool, and would never willingly make you think he didn't like you. He isn't good at... making friends who stay, and if there's one thing I know about you, Percy, it's that you'll always come back, even if you wander off. Juanlu would recognize that. Something else has to be going on, primo." She squeezes him lightly.  
"Maybe once the week is over, his sickness will have worked itself out, and he'll be calling to apologize. Or begging you to stop by."

Percy couldn't help laughing. "Yeah? I like to wander, but I do keep coming back. And you always stay still, you try to let people come to you as they're ready, right?"

"Yeah. If I'm steady, and constant... anyone and everyone can depend on me." She smiled.

"Don't forget to ask for help when you need it. And... I was going to say, don't be scared to go to them. It's not pushy, it's helpful. If you hadn't come by today, I'd have been a depressed, stressed grouch for a few weeks until my mom lets me out of the house again." He winces as they come back into the neighborhood, realizing how bad that sounded. It wasn't like he was trapped again, right?

"I've been trying to... reach out, I... I realized, after arguing with you and Nessa that wallowing in my own feelings was just going to make everyone, including myself, feel worse. I might not understand all of my feelings, but I can't sit and stare at a wall and expect it to tell me anything either." She sighed, and frowned then.  
"Will she be upset, that you weren't home? I can say I needed your help with something, I do go to school with you..."

"They shouldn't be home yet," he waved his hand back and forth. "And if she is... I don't think she'd want to hear it."

Mariana nodded.  
"Alright. I can't promise I won't try, if something happens, but... be careful, primo. I don't wanna get you in trouble. I should have asked if you were busy."

"Do you think waiting would have been any better?" He looked down at her. "It's fine, really."

"If you say so..." Ana squeezed him again, swinging her hand with his shoes mindlessly.  
"Promise next time you'll warn me if I'm likely to get you in trouble?"

"I'll try! It's weird to actually talk about things anymore. I don't have much experience with talking about my issues." They made it up the steps to his house. "This... is me."

"Well... now we're getting to know one another, and I don't like hurting you, or getting anyone in trouble." Ana glanced up, and paused at the woman standing by the door.

Percy froze and looked up at her. Oh no.  
Angelica Richards did not look happy with the pair.

"Ah, um. You're Percy's mom, right? I'm from his English class, I needed help with something and he agreed to, uh, be my muscle. I'm sorry, was he supposed to do something today?" Ana babbled, mouth going a mile a minute. What could she say that would minimize his punishment?

Percy's mom looked between where Percy was, leaning on Ana and obvious a wreck, and Ana herself. "He needs to be studying. Now."

"Oh, does he need a tutor? I've got straight A's, I might be able to help." Ana held Percy a little tighter, hoping he wouldn't be offended by her babbling.

Percy glanced at her. He wanted to complain, but she looked serious. That is, until his mother reached forwards and got a hand around both their wrists and pulled them inside.  
"Perfect. Maybe you can knock some sense into him. Go clean up, Percy."

Ana stumbled, eyes wide, but nodded and stood up a little straighter.  
"I'll do my best?"  
She would do no such thing, she's already kicked him to kingdom come and back. But she might as well make this lady calm down a little.  
Parents are so pushy.


End file.
